Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal has sharply criticized the Uttar Pradesh government’s directive requiring food shops along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their owners’ names. He urged leaders to focus on development rather than divisive issues.
Sibal argued that the ongoing debates about the yatra are distracting from India’s progress and called on the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and Chief Ministers to avoid exploiting these matters for political purposes.
He stressed that pressing economic and political challenges, such as unemployment, are being overshadowed by these less critical issues.
“The politics that is happening on the Kanwar Yatra is not going to take India towards becoming Viksit Bharat. The Prime Minister, Home Minister and Chief Ministers should not raise such issues…The common man has nothing to do with these issues…Such issues will later be raised in Parliament, and issues of economic and political challenges, will not be discussed there,” Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said while addressing a press conference on Saturday.
Sibal highlighted the government’s “negligence” regarding the unemployment crisis by referencing a recent job opening in Uttar Pradesh that received 47 lakh applications for only 60,000 available positions.
“I would like to especially tell the CMs of UP and Uttarakhand to stop this. Kanwar Yatra has happened before as well. Those who are on the Yatra know everything, where to eat and where not to eat,” he said.
He further criticized the government’s priorities by stating, “With the upcoming budget, everything will be clear to everyone” and stressed the importance of focusing on “educating children” and enhancing conditions for “children and women.”
In contrast, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey defended the guidelines, stating that such a regulation was originally introduced in Uttar Pradesh during the tenures of Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati.
“This law was made by the Akhilesh Yadav government, Mayawati government. Everybody is equal in this law. What is unconstitutional in this? Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians all have to install nameplates. BJP respects the law”.
In the midst of the controversy in Uttar Pradesh, the Haridwar Police Administration has also mandated that restaurant owners along the Kanwar Yatra route display their names. Haridwar SSP Padmendra Dobal stated that hotels, dhabas, and restaurants have been instructed to comply, and any violations will result in legal action.
“Regarding the preparations for Kanwar, we have given general instructions to the hotels, dhabas, restaurants, and hawkers on the Kanwar route that they will write the name of the owner on their shops and if they fail to do so, we will take legal action against them. Many times, a situation of dispute arises due to this, hence this decision has been taken by us,” he told reporters.
Samajwadi Party chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav also condemned the move, urging the court to take suo-motu notice of the issue. He described such directives as “social crimes” and warned that they could undermine the region’s peaceful atmosphere.
Taking it to a social media post on X, Akhilesh Yadav wrote, “And what will be known from the name of the person whose name is Guddu, Munna, Chhotu or Fateh? The honourable court should take suo-motto cognizance and investigate the intention of the government behind such administration, and take appropriate punitive action. Such orders are social crimes that want to spoil the peaceful environment of harmony.”
Previously, the Muzaffarnagar Police stated that they have requested all eateries to “voluntarily display” the names of their owners and staff. They clarified that the purpose of this order is not to foster “religious discrimination” but to assist the devotees.
“During the Shravan Kanwar Yatra, a large number of Kanwariyas from neighbouring states, via Western Uttar Pradesh, collect water from Haridwar and pass through Muzaffarnagar district. During the holy month of Shravan, many people, especially Kanwariyas, abstain from certain food items in their diet,” the Muzaffarnagar police stated.
“In the past, such instances have come to light where some shopkeepers selling all types of food items on Kanwar Marg named their shops in such a way that it created confusion among the Kanwariyas and created a law and order situation. To prevent such a recurrence and in view of the faith of the devotees, hotels, dhabas and shopkeepers selling food items on Kanwar Marg have been requested to voluntarily display the names of their owners and employees. The intention of this order is not to create any kind of religious discrimination but only to facilitate the devotees passing through Muzaffarnagar district, counter allegations and save the law and order situation. This system has been prevalent in the past, too,” it added.
